This invention relates generally to the cleaning of hard surfaces in the industrial, social or communal sectors such as, for example, the cleaning of surfaces in the food industry, in canteens, swimming baths, warehouses, etc. More particularly, the invention relates to a cleaning formulation which thickens when mixed with water so that, after manual application or after application by spray or foam applicators, the contact time of the formulation on vertical or inclined surfaces is increased, so that its cleaning effect is enhanced. After the intended contact time, the formulation can be rinsed off with water.
Particular interest attaches to low-viscosity and, hence, readily pumpable cleaning concentrates which, on dilution with water, undergo an increase in viscosity to the in-use concentration and, in addition, build up a yield value which is particularly desirable. This enables the low-viscosity concentrate to be diluted with water immediately before application to the surfaces to be cleaned so that a thickened cleaning solution which adheres well to inclined or vertical surfaces is formed. The mixing process preferably takes place in a mixing nozzle from which the cleaning solution to be thickened is applied to the surfaces to be treated in the form of a film or a foam.
EP-B-265 979 describes thickening compounds for the preparation of thickened, aqueous single-phase cleaning formulations consisting of 0.1 to 10% by weight of a surfactant, for example a tertiary amine oxide, and of 0.01 to 3% by weight of an organic anionic sulfonate. EP-A-595 590 describes aqueous concentrates which produce a viscous cleaning solution when diluted with water and which contain tertiary amine oxides, sulfate- or sulfonate-based anionic surfactants, hydrophobicized polymer surfactants, diluents such as, for example, lower alcohols or lower alkyl ethers and alkalis. EP-A-314 232 discloses aqueous mixtures which undergo an increase in viscosity when diluted with water and which contain, for example, an amine oxide, an anionic surfactant, non-surface-active compounds ionizable in water and also water.
WO 86/05199 describes a cleaning formulation for hard surfaces which contains a combination of an alkyl polyglycoside with, for example, tertiary alkylamine oxides. This cleaning formulation does not contain a water-soluble organic solvent based on alcohol or glycol ether and does not thicken when diluted with water. EP-A-75 996 discloses a laundry detergent composition which contains 1 to 90% of an alkyl polysaccharide, 1 to 90% of a nonionic surfactant, for example a tertiary amine oxide, 0 to 90% by weight of a detergent builder and 0.01 to 2% of an anionic optical brightener. This known formulation also contains no organic solvent and does not have any thickening properties, which would actually be a disadvantage in the washing of laundry.